Having a baby

Coming to the Hospital

On this page:

What to bring to the hospital

Suggested items to bring

As closet space is limited, please bring only a few items for your personal use:

  • Nightgowns or pyjamas.
  • Underwear, including a supportive bra.
  • Non-slip footwear.
  • Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, soap, shampoo, comb, hairbrush, etc.).
  • Sanitary pads one package.
  • Breast pads if breastfeeding.
  • Diapers.
  • Baby wipes.
  • Car seat. 

Optional items to bring

You may bring these items to the hospital if you wish:

  • Electric hair dryer or curling iron under 800 watts.
  • Your laptop or other small device. It cannot be plugged into the hospital’s network or phone line, but you can access our Wi-Fi network.
  • Your own pillow(s).
  • If you are donating your baby’s cord blood to the national public Cord Blood Bank, please remember to pack your signed Permission to Collect consent form. 

Please do not bring 

  • Valuables (including jewelry) or large sums of cash. 

Registration

When you arrive at the hospital to have your baby, you will finish your registration. Bring your valid Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card and information on any other health insurance you have.

If you do not have Ontario health insurance, we will connect you to the finance department to discuss payment options. 

Scheduled C-section

If you are having a scheduled caesarean birth, your doctor will have booked your surgery date ahead of time. You will be admitted to the hospital the day of your baby’s birth. Your doctor will talk to you about the details of your admission. 

Once you have delivered

There are a few important steps to take soon after delivering a baby.  

  1. Register for your delivery by calling the Admitting department:

    Civic Campus: 613-761- 4131
    General Campus: 613-737- 8200

  2. Sign up for MyChart

MyChart is a free, secure website and mobile application you can use to access your information from your medical records. You can also view and manage certain information about your health.  

Using MyChart during and after your pregnancy will give you access to the following:

  • Maternal Health Questionnaire.
  • Self-schedule support groups.
  • Upcoming appointments.
  • Test results.
  • Your newborn’s documents, including the Proof of Birth letter.
  • Proxy Consent Form.

If your partner signs up for MyChart, they too can have access to your baby’s health information. 

Don’t wait!

Register your delivery and sign up to MyChart as soon as you can. These steps will improve communication with your care team and ensure you have the best birthing experience possible. 

Close-up illustration of blue human cells floating against a blurred blue and pink background, showing detailed cell membranes and nuclei, representing biological or medical science.

Stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta can save lives!

Making the decision to donate your baby’s cord blood is an important one.

The Ottawa Hospital is one of four designated collection hospitals for the Canadian Blood Services Cord Blood Bank.  Healthy, volunteer patients delivering here can donate cord blood at no charge.

Cord blood contains stem cells, and stem cells help in the treatment and cure of a wide variety of conditions.

At any given time, there are hundreds of patients in Canada searching for a stem cell donor. If they are unable to find a match within their family, patients rely on unrelated volunteer donors.  

Donations to the Cord Blood Bank are available for any patient in Canada or world-wide in need of an unrelated stem cell transplant. 

Register online: As only one of four participating hospitals in Canada, expectant parents planning to deliver at The Ottawa Hospital General Campus, have the unique opportunity to register to donate cord blood to the Canadian Blood Services’ public cord blood bank

Tell hospital staff your plan to donate: On your delivery day, let your birthing team (i.e. your nurse, midwife or physician) know about your intent to donate to the Canadian Blood Services Cord Blood Bank. Cord Blood Bank staff at the hospital will have your consent form on file.

Have your cord blood collected: After the safe delivery of your baby, a Cord Blood Bank team member will receive your placenta and collect the cord blood outside of the delivery room. It will then be tested to see if it qualifies for storage in the bank.

Cord blood collection is a safe and painless process that does not interfere with birth plans, including delayed cord clamping.  Canadian Blood Services employees collect your cord blood after your baby and placenta have been delivered.

If your baby’s cord blood unit qualifies, a nurse will visit you to collect additional information before you leave the hospital which includes a second consent, blood work and a questionnaire.

Translation services: The Cord Blood Bank team offers free, board-certified interpreters and translators in Arabic, Punjabi and Chinese. If you prefer to communicate with us in a language other than English or French, email us at cordblood@blood.ca to request an interpreter or translation services. They require six to eight weeks’ notice to ensure all required forms are completed and received before your due date. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about giving birth at the hospital

  • At the Civic Campus, the Birthing Unit is on the 4th floor. Use elevator D.
  • At the General Campus, the Birthing Unit is on the 8th floor. Use the main elevator.
  • Our birthing rooms are large, home-like and comfortable. You will have your own room so it is private and relaxing. We use all of the best equipment and technology to care for you and your baby during labour.
  • Each room has its own washroom, with a shower. All rooms have recliner chairs so your partner or support person can relax.
  • The Birthing Unit is set up to handle caesarean births or complicated births.
  • Most families will stay in the same room for labour, birth and a short period of time after the birth. 

Your partner and/or support person may stay with you throughout labour and birth. If you need a caesarean birth, you may have someone stay with you, if your doctor and anesthesiologist agree.

Yes.  You are welcome to take pictures as long as it does not interfere with the staff taking care of the mother and baby. If taking pictures makes it hard for the staff to do their jobs, they may ask you to stop.

If you want a picture of the nurses or the doctor, please ask them before you take the pictures. If you are going to put your pictures on a website, please make sure that the nurses and doctors are willing to have their pictures included. 

You will stay with your baby in the Birthing Unit for about two hours after the birth. This is a great time for you to get to know your baby and to breastfeed him or her for the first time.

The mother and baby will get matching identification bands. The mother will choose one other person to also wear a matching identification band.

Every baby is given a number of tests and treatments.

  • The nurses will put erythromycin ointment in your baby’s eyes after birth. This ointment prevents infection. This is a legal requirement in the province of Ontario.
  • Your baby will also get an injection of Vitamin K. Vitamin K helps your baby’s blood clot well.
  • We take a small sample of blood from all new babies. This is done by a small needle-prick on the baby’s heel. The blood is tested for disorders so babies don’t have serious problems later. We test all new babies for these diseases before they are discharged from the hospital. 
    Newborn infants who are discharged from the hospital before they are 24 hours old should be retested within five days after discharge. We will give you instructions for retesting.
  • We check every baby’s hearing before they are discharged from the hospital.

If you want more information about these tests, ask the doctors or nurses. It is important for you to understand why the tests are done. It is also important to make sure all the tests are done before you leave the hospital.

For more information please visit the Newborn Screening Ontario website.

After about one to two hours in the Birthing Unit, you and your baby will be transferred to a Mother Baby Unit. The Mother Baby Units are on the same floors as the Birthing Units.  

Your room may have one, two, or three patient beds. This will depend on your insurance coverage and what beds are available after you have your baby.

The Mother Baby Unit is set up so that you can learn how to care for your baby. You will have your baby with you 24 hours a day.

Although your baby is with you all the time, this does not mean that you are left alone to take care of the baby. The nurses will answer your questions, give you information and show you how to care for your baby. They will help you feel confident about going home with your new baby.

Research shows that it is good for mothers and babies to stay together because:

  • Babies cry less.
  • Babies are less stressed.
  • Babies and mothers sleep better.
  • Mothers and babies learn to breastfeed better.
  • Breast milk is produced earlier.
  • Babies are fed as soon as they show signs that they’re hungry.
  • Women breastfeed longer and are more successful with breastfeeding.
  • Babies gain weight faster.
  • Women feel more confident about taking care of their baby.
  • It strengthens the bond between the parents and the baby.

Your nurse will look after you and your baby together. Each nurse looks after several families on the Mother Baby Unit at the same time.

If your baby needs special care that the nurses can’t give in your room, they will move your baby to the Special Care Nursery or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

Yes.  We strongly encourage you to breastfeed your baby. We have many resources to help you learn how to do it well.

All of our nurses have special training in breastfeeding. They can help you with positioning your baby so that she can feed well.

Your nurse, doctor or midwife can also refer you to a certified lactation consultant (a person who gives support to breastfeeding mothers). Lactation consultants are available to assist with complex problems in the hospital.

If you decide to use bottles and formula to feed your baby, we will support your choice. Talk to your doctor or midwife about what type of formula to use. 

Safety and security

We want to keep your baby safe in the hospital. Your nurse will explain our safety practices when you are admitted to the Mother Baby Unit. 

Icon Baby

Never give your baby to anyone you don’t know and never leave your baby alone. 

Safety tips

Identification

  • We will give you, your baby and your partner or support person matching identification bands. All of you must wear the identification bands while you are at the hospital.  We will also put an infant security bracelet on your baby.
  • All staff members who take care of you and your baby should be wearing an Ottawa Hospital photo ID tag. Please ask them to show you their identification if you aren’t sure what their job is.
  • Never give your baby to anyone not wearing an Ottawa Hospital photo identification tag or who does not have legitimate reasons to handle your infant. 

Call bells

  • We will teach you how and when to use your call bell and how and when to call for help in an emergency.  Keep room doors open to ensure call bells are heard and answered promptly. 

Visitors

  • Ask visitors not to come if they are ill.
  • Limit the number of visitors to two per patient between 3 and 8 p.m.
  • Visitors must wash their hands before handling the baby.
  • No children under 12 years old should visit other than siblings.

Preventing slips and falls

  • Wear appropriate footwear when out of bed to avoid slipping or falls.
  • Avoid cluttering bedside area to ensure safe, easy and quick access to patients. 

Sleeping

  • We promote infant safe sleep practices.  Families are asked to have their baby sleep in a cot and make sure their baby is placed on their back. 

Medications

  • Be aware of medications that are prescribed and report any side effects from them. 

Going home

  • You will be asked to have the nurse check your infant’s positioning in the car seat prior to discharge.